Membrane curtain barrier with hemmed pocket attached by interlock stitching

ABSTRACT

A curtain barrier with an attached hem pocket using an interlocking stitch techniqueis disclosed. The agricultural membrane curtain comprises a curtain body made of a non-porous fabric material and one or more breathable hem pockets extending along the bottom edge of the curtain body. The hem pocket is sewn to the curtain body using a plurality of intersecting sew lines creating an interlocking stitch pattern to avoid unraveling due to thread damage. The sew lines may comprise thread, yarn, or filament and the interlocking stitch pattern forms multiple stop points for automatic sealing in the event of deterioration of one or more stitches.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the attachment of sewn hems on agricultural membrane curtains and more particularly relates to attachment of hems to membrane curtain barriers using an interlocking stitching pattern of the sew lines which prevents thread unravelling and other related damages.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Large farm buildings and farm structures associated with the agricultural industry are commonly cordoned off using membrane curtains to reduce air intrusion, especially for raising livestock including dairy, poultry and swine. The membrane curtain is rolled up or pulled down based on environmental weather conditions, in order to vary the airflow inside thestructure. Membrane curtain barriers or sidewall curtains are generally used in livestock farm environments, which are generally full of dust and debris that may consist of animal feed, manure, dirt and other organic matter.

Traditionally agricultural sidewall curtains are folded over at the bottom and hemmed to create a pocket. These hem pockets are commonly attached via two parallel lines of sewing which runsstraight along the length of the hem. Straight line chain-stitch sewing creates a continuous series of looped stitches using thread, yarn, or filament. If the thread is broken at one spot, the entire stitch line quality is compromised as the thread will continue to unravel and make it extremely difficult to repair after it has been installed on a building. Unravelled stitching in a hemmed pocket of agricultural curtain must be stopped to avoid the failure of the entire pocket which in turn would make the entire curtain ineffective.

Curtain barriers used in the agriculture and farming industries encounter a lot of problems based on their working environment, including: time or cost associated with the curtain installation process, lack of adhesion, and complications arising from the use of stapling methods or adhesives for in-field fixing of the curtain barriers. One of the common limitations in repairing traditional curtain hem pockets includes the use of stapling to lock or secure the loose ends of the sew line. This creates many sharp points which may cause further damage by puncturing other portions of the curtain during routine use. It is also time consuming to affix an increasing number of staples to appropriate areas in order to stop the sew lines from unraveling.

Another limitation with traditional curtain barrier hem pockets pertains to repairing a broken seam using an adhesive. As the curtain barriers being used in agricultural environment tend to accumulate dust and debris that consists of animal feed, manure, dirt and other organic matter, using an adhesive on the curtain without a thorough and extensive cleaning greatly decreases the effectiveness of the adhesive and often does not create a long lasting repair. This is also a time consuming process as the cleaning may require more time for the repair area on the curtain to dry before applying the adhesive, in addition to any time required for the adhesive itself to dry. In most cases, measures will also need to be taken to secure the area of the adhesive so that the materials do not shift during the drying cycle.

Further limitations include number of times the curtain barrier is required to be cut or trimmed in order to fit the size of the installation site. Complete rolls of curtain barrier can be large enough to cover multiple areas within an agricultural housing structure and therefore are frequently trimmed to garner maximum usefulness from a single roll. As a result, problems associated with securing the seam become more frequent and further exacerbated by the use of adhesives and stapling for sealing multiple sew lines.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,370 discloses a method for forming hem stitches using zigzag stitches that act in conjunction with a series of straight stitches made parallel to and spaced inside of the edge of the fabric to decrease the amount of thread fraying. The first of the zigzag stitches is of a predetermined width such that the stitches extend between the edge of the fabrics and the straight stitches. The second zigzag stitching extends between first zigzag stitches and straight stitching such that the second zigzag stitch has a plurality of seams connected to the first zigzag stitch and the straight stitch. Limitation of zig-zag stitching includes complicated stitching pattern and these stitches leave numerous puncture holes that may weaken the fabric.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,950 discloses a tear-resistant seam including multiple and overlapping stitches for clothing utilizing a group of four stitches and a nylon cord which is incorporated into the seam. The tear resistant seam include serging stitches, zigzag stitches and straight line stitching in a specific sequence. However, the tear resistant seams does not provide multiple stopping points to prevent unraveling of the entire stitch line.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,465 discloses curtain fabrics for greenhouses and shade halls. This curtain fabric is designed to integrate foil strips into a woven yarn network to provide decreased air flow while allowing the transmission of water in order to prevent water gathering. The Curtain Fabric for Greenhouses was designed specifically for use in controlling heat, light, and moisture transmissions associated with flora or “plant” based business.

The above cited prior art reference does not provide any solution for preventing problems like the unravelling of an entire stitchline in hemmed curtains due to breakage in stitch line or thread damage. Moreoverthe usage of fabric material in the curtains may vary which in turn requires additional care to prevent the material from weakening during the installation process. Further, the sewing patterns are complicated and involves numerous puncturing of the fabric, which tends to reduce the efficiency of thecurtainbarriers.

In light of the aforementioned problems, there exists a need for a stitching pattern to sew hem pockets onto agricultural or livestock membrane curtains to ensure a stable product, there is also a need for a stitchingpattern that prevents unravelling of the entire stitch linedue to thread damage during installation of the membrane curtains.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an interlocking stitch pattern for attaching hem pockets to a curtain barrier for use in agricultural or livestock industrial applications.

The curtain barrier comprises a curtain body with at least one breathable hem pocket made of a non-porous fabric material. The hem pocket is permanently attached by sewing to the bottom edge of the curtain barrier. The sew lines are stitched along the bottom edge of the curtain body in an interlocking fashion to create a cross-stitch pattern which prevents thread unraveling due to thread damage and premature detachment of the hem pocket due to separation of the sew lines.

In an embodiment, the hem pocket can be attached to the curtain body using a series of interlocking stitches sewn in different patterns, such as alternating diagonal sew lines, alternating arched or curved sew lines, alternating diagonal and straight stitch. In an embodiment, the interlocking stitches are created using a minimum of two sew lines to create various interlocking patterns thus forming multiple stop points to prevent unravelling of the entire stitch line.

In another embodiment, the breathable hem pocket may have two or more sew lines of thread, yarn, or filament which are sewn intersecting at regular intervals. The breathable pocket may comprise a hemmed non-porous fabric material or a hemmed curtain body, consisting of a plurality of openings including holes or slits distributed substantially throughout the pocket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the curtain barrier with a hem pocket sewn using intersecting sew lines, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A-2C show a schematic view of sew patterns formed using two sew lines, all of which intersect at specific intervals for measurement purposes.FIG. 2A shows a sew pattern of intersecting diagonals created using two sew lines. FIG. 2B shows intersecting arcs or an intersecting curve sew pattern created using two sew lines. FIG. 2C shows a sew pattern of alternating diagonal and straight stitchescreated using two sew lines.

FIG. 3A-3B show a schematic view of sew patterns formed using more than two sew lines, all of which intersect at specific intervals for measurement purposes. FIG. 3A shows intersecting diagonals in a sew pattern created using three sew lines. FIG. 3B shows intersecting arcs or intersecting curves in a sew pattern created using three sew lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description of the different exemplary embodiments is to assist in understanding the claims. However, the present invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The terms “curtain”, “curtain barrier”, “membrane curtain” and “sidewall curtain” are used interchangeably herein referrring to agricultural and livestock industrial curtains including dairy barn curtains, equestrian curtains, swine barn curtains,and poultry barn curtains.

The term “hem pocket” or “hemmed pocket” refers to pockets created by folding over the edge of a fabric and sewing it in place to form a pocket. Hem pockets are formed in membrane curtains by folding the horizontal bottom edge of the curtain and sewing it to the curtain body.

The present invention discloses interlocking stitching techniques for attaching hem pockets to a membrane curtain barrier. Interlocking stitching comprises two or more sew lines that are consistently interlocking to provide multiple points of automatic sealing within the base nature of the sew lines. Self-locked or stopped sew lines thus formed do not require any additional tools or adhesives to fix breakage in the sew line. Even if a break occurs at a particular spot in the sew line, it will not cause further deterioration of the sew line due to the presence of multiple stop points in the form of interlocking stitches on either side of the breakage spot.

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a curtain barrier for use in agricultural, livestock,or industrial applications is described herein. The curtain barrier comprises a curtain body (110) made of a fabric material andat least one hem pocket (120) extending along the bottom edge of the curtain body (110). The hem pocket (120) is attached to the curtain body (110) via two or more sew lines (130), which intersect at regular, measureable intervals. Further, the sew lines (130) are stitched along the bottom edge of the curtain body (110) in an interlocking fashion to create a cross-stitch to stop the thread unraveling due to thread damage and premature detachment of the hem pocket due to separation of the sew lines. In an embodiment, the sew lines (130) can be stitched using thread, yarn, or filament and the interlocking sew lines (130) create multiple stop points of automatic sealing in the event of deterioration of thread at one or more stitching spots.

Again referring to FIG. 1, showing a perspective view of the curtain barrier sewn with a hem pocket (120), the hem pocket (120) is created by folding over the horizontal bottom edge of the curtain and permanently attaching it to the curtain body (110) by sewing using a series of interlocking lines (130). The interlocking diagonal sew lines (130) creates stopping points on either side of the break for the cessation of unraveling so that whenever a break occurs in the sew line, the break will not cause further deterioration of the entire sew line (130).

In another embodiment, the hem pocket (120) is attached to the curtain body (110) using a plurality of sewing patterns (130) with a minimum of at least two sew lines. The sewing patterns create various interlocking stitch patterns as depicted in FIG. 2A-2C, all of which intersect at specific intervals for measurement purposes. In an embodiment, the sew pattern is comprised of a pair of diagonally intersecting sew lines (132), (134) with one-inch spacing between the end or peak of each diagonal line as shown in FIG. 2A. In another embodiment, the sew pattern may comprise intersecting arcs or intersecting curvesformed by two sew lines (132), (134), as shown in FIG. 2B. In yet another embodiment, the sew pattern may comprise intersecting diagonal stitches mixed with sections of parallel stitch lines formed using two sew lines (132), (134), as shown in FIG. 2C.

In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of sewing a hem pocket onto a curtain barrier, the method comprising: i) bringing together a curtain body (110) and a hem pocket (120) for stitching; ii) sewing the hem pocket (120) along a horizontal bottom edge of the curtain body (110) using at least two sew lines (132), (134); iii) creating a cross-stitch pattern or interlock stitching (130) by intersecting at least two sew lines (132), (134) along the horizontal bottom edge of the curtain body (110). In an embodiment, the cross-stitch pattern (130) is created using two or more sew lines.

In a different embodiment, the hem pocket (120) attached to the curtain (110) may be hemmed using more than two sew lines or multiple stitch lines forming a plurality of locking patterns as shown in FIG. 3A-3B, all of which intersect at specific intervals for measurement purposes. In one embodiment, the sew pattern is comprised of diagonally intersecting stitches formed by three sew lines (132), (134) and (136), as shown in FIG. 3A. In another embodiment,the sew pattern comprises intersecting curves or intersecting arcs formed by three sew lines (132), (134) and (136), as shown in FIG. 3B.

In an embodiment, the pocket may have two or more lines sewn to intersect at regular intervals. These intersecting stitches (130) attach the hem pocket (120) to the curtain body (110), prevent or decrease the damage to the curtain barrier by self-locking or stopping sew lines, and do not require any additional tools or adhesives to fix the thread damage or similar problems. Repeating patterns in the sew lines can also be used for measuring purposes, especially when installing a new curtain and/or creating an even cut in a curtain for splicing purposes.

Furthermore, the membrane curtain, sewn with hem pockets using interlocking stitch patterns is applicable for agricultural, livestock or industrial ventilation purposes. As known in the art, agricultural membrane curtains are typically in settings exposed to dust and debris from soil, animal feed, manure and dirt. These curtains stitched with hem pockets encounter thread unravelling and thread damage problems constantly. The interlocking stitching pattern of the present invention provides a break-proof or self-securing stitch line with multiple stopping-points that overcome the limitations described above. In addition, the interlocking stitches created using threads, filaments, or yarn help to avoid any unravelling that may occur during curtain installation process. In an exemplary embodiment, the agricultural curtain barriers as described herein require fewer stitches to attach hem pockets to the curtain body, which further helps to avoid an abundance of puncture holes in the curtain material, as excess amounts of puncture holes might weaken the curtain fabric material.

In an alternative embodiment, repeating patterns in the sew lines can be used as a measuring system, for example, when cutting the curtain fabric material to ensure even edges and proper widths during an installation process.The membrane curtain barrier with sewn hem pocket provides a more reliable and longer-lasting stable product while minimizing the time, energy, and additional materials required during the curtain installation process.

The interlocking stitch technique of the present invention eliminates the need for stapling methods or adhesives for in-field fixes on standard agricultural curtains. By eliminating the need for repairs on site, the curtain is made to be a more reliable and longer-lasting product. Much time and energy, along with additional materials, are saved with the use of the agricultural curtain sewn with hem pockets using interlocking sew patterns.

Although the present invention has been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present invention may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the present invention as described herein. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

1. A curtain barrier comprising: at least one breathable hem pocket attached to a horizontal bottom edge of a curtain body using at least two sew lines, wherein the sew lines comprise a series of interlocking sections with equal spacing between each interlocking section.
 2. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the series of interlocking sections of the sew lines comprise a cross-stitch pattern.
 3. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the series of interlocking sections comprise alternating diagonal sew lines, with one-inch spacing between an end or peak of each diagonal sew line.
 4. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the series of interlocking sections comprise alternating arched or curved sew lines, with one-inch spacing between the intersection of each sew line.
 5. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the series of interlocking sections comprise alternating diagonal sew lines, with sections of parallel sew lines alternating with opposite diagonal sew lines, with one-inch spacing between the intersections of each set of diagonal lines.
 6. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the sew lines intersect with each other to create sealing stop points for the cessation of unraveling of sew lines in the event of sew line fault.
 7. The curtain barrier of claim 1, wherein the length between the sew line intersections or the peaks of diagonal sew lines are indicative of a measuring system.
 8. The curtain barrier of claim 1, whereinthe breathable hem pocket includes a break-proof or self-securing stitch.
 9. The curtain barrier of claim 1,comprisesa curtain for use as an agricultural membrane curtain, livestock membrane curtainor industrial ventilation membrane curtain.
 10. A method of sewing a hem pocket onto a curtain barrier, the method comprising: bringing together a curtain body and a hem pocket for stitching; sewing the hem pocket along abottom edge of the curtain body using at least two sew lines; creating a cross-stitch pattern by intersecting at least two sew lines along the bottom edge of the curtain body.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hem pockets are made of a non-porous fabric material.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-stitch pattern comprisesa series of interlocking diagonal sew lines, with one-inch spacing between an end or peak of each diagonal line.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-stitch pattern comprisesa series of interlocking arched or curved sew lines, with one-inch spacing between an end or peak of each curved sew line.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-stitch pattern comprises a series of interlocking diagonal sew lines with sections of parallel sew lines alternating with opposite diagonal sew lines, with one-inch spacing between an end or peak of each diagonal sew line.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-stitch pattern comprisesa plurality of sealing stop-points created by the intersecting sew lines for the cessation of unraveling sew lines in the event of sew line fault.
 16. The method of claim 10, wherein the cross-stitch pattern is created using three sew lines. 